A Freshman Year, Far From Home

Last fall 1,000 Chinese students arrived at Michigan State. Here are the stories of three of them.

Romain Blanquart for The Chronicle

Mengshi Zhao, 20, came from Zhengzhou, China, to study finance at Michigan State U. During winter break, he sent himself postcards on a train trip through the middle of the country.

By Karin Fischer

East Lansing, Mich.

When Mengshi Zhao arrived at
Michigan State University last summer, it took some getting used
to.

The grassy vistas of the upper Midwest were different from
China's congested cityscapes. He had free time to fill, unlike his
regimented high-school days, when he was roused before dawn and
mandatory study sessions lasted late into the night. And American
food—it wasn't so tasty, he thought.